Dissecting the Future (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 30 Jan 2024 @ 7:07pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant JG Zara Ghemora & Ensign Amanda Turell & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 1st Class Lysander Octavio

2,765 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 1, Conference Room
Timeline: MD 01, 1635 hrs

Previously, on Dissecting the Future (Part 1)...

"Wars drives innovation," Lysander mused, "I've seen two bit backwaters develop into the cutting edge due to conflict with a neighbouring world. If there's one thing I know about Klingons its that they rely on conflict to push their tech. Peace strangles them." He'd spent a lot of time working on Klingon strategy with the admiralty. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, but perhaps they knew something he didn't? Until now at least. "I'm simply baffled that the Klingons were able to produce anything half as good as the Federation, assuming they scaled up to full production. Perhaps it's the case that they just went for quantity over quality... Or someone in Starfleet dropped the ball."

Not looking up from her PADD, Ghemora added, "Could be as simple as a result of the early stages of the new Klingon-Romulan alliance. Romulans have always held a technical and intelligence advantage over their neighbors. If they had given these specifications to the Klingons as a show of non-aggression, it would have bolstered the Klingons' ability to develop and produce much more advanced warships."

Finally lowering her PADD and glancing to properly address the others, "But Mr. Octavio is correct: war drives innovation. The Defiant-class is a direct result of the Dominion War, and I do not doubt that the Klingons would have capitalized on any captured technology in the years that followed, eventually leading us to where they find themselves now," the DSEC agreed before returning to her analysis of the Romulan intelligence.

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

The meeting was unceremoniously interrupted by a new series of chirps emanating from Tarin's commbadge. "Tarin," acknowledged the captain from her seat in the conference room.

"Sir, there's an incoming transmission from Lieutenant Rice aboard Praxis on a secure channel."

The tall captain rubbed her eyes then glanced across the gold-collared personnel who were beginning to work on their assignments. "Acknowledged." Tarin then spoke to her assembled team, "Continue your research, I'll return shortly."

Gabriel watched the Captain leave, waiting for the door to shut before sitting back heavily and letting out a long breath. "We're a dead ship sailing..."

"It's definitely an interesting situation." Amanda added to Gabriel's . "I foresee a lot of long days and nights in our future."

"So if we are attacked, and our sensors end up not giving us advance warning we what... just sit here and get destroyed?" Lysander said incredulously, "The captain would sooner sacrifice us to protect this vessel that has ripped us through time than buy us time in safety to plan a way forward..." He shook his head, "Perhaps its time to barter with the Klingons for protection..."

"It could be seen as insubordination to openly question the Captain's orders," Ghemora reminded the others without looking up from the PADD but did continue in a mumble, "...no matter if we agree with them or not."

"Oh my apologies, Lieutenant," Lysander gave a disarming smile, "I did not realise the Captain had issued any orders as yet. I had meant to simply... contribute to the continued discussion."

Ghemora glanced up from beneath a slightly raised, ridged brow at the petty officer for a moment before her eyes cast back down to the PADD she was studying, "I'm just saying that the captain must be making these decisions for a reason. We may not have all of the information she is using. It's why she's captain."

Lysander had spent the previous two years amonst the admiralty at Starfleet Command. He was well aware that the reasons 'why someone is a particular rank' were often pathetic, dull or ridiculous. Oh the dullards he had seen in charge of fleets of ships. It was laughable. He had little reason to believe it was any different out here. Tarin wasn't blessed with any more skill or ability to make these decisions than anyone else. She was just charged to do so. It was up to the sharper minds such as himself to influence things where he could.

But this Cardassian was important to any future opportunities within the security department, so there was no need for him to be unseemly. "As you say, sir," he said respectfully, still smiling, "I shall of course trust the process."

"We all have to," Ghemora begrudgingly agreed but was in line with the man's thinking rather than what her statements portrayed. 'Duty' was often about having to give up independence in favor of blind trust in a superior.

...The more she read, the more questions the Cardassian began to have, especially as it concerned the Galileo-A's role in all of it. Nearly tossing the metallic PADD down in front of her, Ghemora looked up to the others to ask, "While I know this shouldn't be our concern, does the history provided to us actually suggest it was command's fault for the war? Or was it the Federation disrespecting the autonomy of the Klingons that was the match that lit the tinderbox? I can only think, if the Klingons had done to us what we did to them, would the Federation have been drawn into war all the same?"

Using the console in front of her, Ghemora used the central, holographic display to show the overall timeline of the war as it shifted the territories of the Federation and various alliances. "The Romulan Empire was already weakened before the first incidents but would have seen the advantages of supporting the Klingons given the early battles and shared loathing of the Federation. As their alliance grew, their targets, especially those by the Romulans, did more and more to fracture the Federation; cutting away small pieces of it, than any of the individual conquests by the Klingons."

Settling into her chair, the DSEC looked at the repeating display, pondering a moment before adding finally, "With what we have, I can't see how it would have been determined this was all started by the actions of one ship in the middle of relatively unremarkable space. There has to be something we're purposely not being told..."

Gabriel hooked an arm over the back of his chair as he looked to Ghemora. "I thought we were meant to 'trust in the process'..." he said lightly, unable to help himself. But there was a small smile on his lips, and gentle humour in his eyes, nothing sharp. In truth, the hows and whys were above his paygrade. But the look in the eye of the deputy...it seemed she wasn't as willing to let it go.

"When it comes to our people, yes. But we're being given intel and orders from people that aren't ours. With no way to verify their story; the history they claim as our future, how do we know we are not pawns in their game?" the Cardassian asked mostly rhetorically.

Well in that case you ally yourself with the most powerful piece on the board, Lysander mused internally. He would certainly be getting the Klingons that had made the journey with them onside - that would be a lot of leverage over a damaged Galileo-B.


1650 hrs

An urgent message interrupted the current strategic and tactical review session. "Tarin to Blake, Warraquim, Ghemora and all senior NCOs and officers. Report to the bridge immediately!" sounded the captain's voice through the ship's comm channel.

Amanda shot up from her chair, Tarin's voice had a definite sense of urgency to it. "I'll be back as soon as I'm free." Checking her phaser out of habit she quickly headed for the door.

Setting down the PADD of sensitive intel, Ghemora stood and followed the ensign out of the doors, curious about what was suddenly so urgent given the lack of klaxon call.

Lysander raised an eyebrow at the door as the officers hurried away, then cast his eyes over to his fellow petty officer, "Well, that was quite dramatic," he said with a slightly lyrical tone, "What are your thoughts on all this, then, Stark?"

"On which bit?" Gabriel asked him with a breathy sigh, yet, despite everything, his usual sense of playfulness was in his eyes and tone. "The dramatic exit? Being 25 years in the future? Or being tasked with finding the tactical advantages of being antiquated?"

"A bit of each I suppose," Lysander said, flashing a smile, "Is this par for the course for the Galileo?"

"Now you're learning," Gabriel leant back in his chair, stretching his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles as he settled his clasped hands behind his head and let out a soft sigh. "Where I'm from, churches are fitted with lightening conductors, to attract lightening during a storm...we're like one of them, just we attract trouble rather than lightening."

Risk and reward, Lysander thought to himself, not quite as good as his families motto: reward without risk, but he'd have to make do. Danger often came with the opportunity for fame and infamy.

His rather musical laugh lightly rang out in response to Stark's analogy, "Perhaps that is the way of things on the frontier. I am well versed in such things. I've been in many a scrape myself, though I must admit I have never tangled with time." His smile widened a little, "Is there anything I should know about the Captain? I have not had a chance to make her acquaintance in all the chaos."

"Hm..." Gabriel was silent for a long moment as he mused on the question. Because the answer could go in so many directions. And get him into trouble. "Well, I suppose the first thing is that I don't really think she's about making acquaintances. She's your Captain, you're her crew, I think that's as familiar as you're going to get."

Lysander's smile widened a fraction. He knew he could 'acquaint' himself with anyone. It took charm, persuasion or failing that... leverage.

"Well I appreciate the advice," he raised an eyebrow, still smiling, "But I've always found that getting to know those at the top of the food chain is something of a speciality of mine."

The door to the conference room opened and Amanda re-entered the room. "Well," She remarked as she headed back to the chair she had occupied not long earlier. "that was an.... interesting diversion."

"Why? What's happened now? Did we just discover flying dinosaurs? Because that's the only way this day is getting any crazier..." Gabriel replied with a dry chuckle, but watched her with clear interest.

"Well in the words of our esteemed Co, Lt Rice has 'gone native'" Amanda replied. "She beamed over to the Praxis to brief Kuran and then the ship took off with her onboard."

Huh, Lysander mused internally, that was quite the revelation. Ditching the Galileo for the stronger ship, stronger allies... It was ballsy. Perhaps Rice was a bit of a swashbuckler like himself. "Is this... typical behaviour for the Lieutenant?" His tone dripping with curiosity.

"No..." the colour drained from Gabriel's face as he sat forward in his seat, searching Amanda's face for any sign of a lie or joke. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding..." he said urgently, worry in his dark eyes.

"Wish I was," Amanda replied. "And by the sounds of it, it was her idea, Kuran hasn't kidnapped her or anything like that."

Gabriel sank back heavily into his seat, as if winded. He fell silent, not trusting himself to say anything. All of his usual jest and playfulness was gone, and the colour had not returned to his features.

The conference room's entrance swished open again to present the return of the red-collared commander. As the tall Galileo-A captain quickly walked back to her place at the table, subtle cues within her facial features betrayed hints of newfound agitation and resentment. She pulled her chair back then sat down, her hazel eyes now stern. "We have less time than we originally thought. We can thank Lieutenant Rice for that." Beneath the table, Tarin dug her fingertips deep into her palm to control her anger then let out a frustrated breath while recomposing herself. "What have you discovered since the ensign and I were gone?" she asked the two NCOs.

Lysander had hoped Stark would field the question, but he appeared to be reacting... poorly to the news of Rice.

"Well, sir," he said, moderating his usual grin to more of a sanguine visage, "Nothing deeper than the surface level we'd reached when you and the ensign left, sir."

He paused for a moment. It would be most apt of him to say something useful at this juncture, "For myself I was wondering if the Galileo-B, that is the newer Nova-Class model, had any minor upgrades, or perhaps software updates, that might improve the efficiency of our own systems. They'd be compatible, no doubt." He caught Tarin's gaze, "It may give us an edge if circumstances required it, sir."

Tarin rubbed the side of her forehead to temporarily suppress the onset of her growing headache. She picked up one her PADDs which she'd left on the table then began to scroll through some of the technical specifications pertaining to Galileo-B which Saalm had provided them. It was a lot to absorb - much more than she was qualified to remark upon, for the engineering diagrams alone detailed a subtle yet new starship design philosophy. "It's a Mark III prototype, the first off the production line in 2411...seemingly specifically constructed to accommodate temporal generation technology," she began to summarize while she interpreted the schematics. "Type XII phaser arrays, an additional aft torpedo launcher with Mark Q-III quantum torpedoes...an improved F3-Type Matter/Antimatter warp core with a V-130 primary computer core assembly..."

The captain continued to read off the notable differences between the -A and -B, "Ablative armor hull plating sections reinforcing the primary and secondary composite hardpoints... Maximum standard warp velocity of warp 9.6," she shook her head while she kept reading. "This is an inherently-different starship than our own. Tailor-made, it appears, to perform one single task: be small, discreet, fast and survivable and get to where it needs to be. This new technology...? I wouldn't know where to start or how we could integrate any of it into Galileo with only a couple days and our limited personnel resources."

Lysander could only imagine the value schematics and detailed specifications might have back in '92. It would be a wonderful backup should their time travel plan fail, to provide technical documents to Starfleet, allowing it to get ahead in tech and win the inevitable war. Whoever had those documents to hand, why, they'd be hailed as a hero...

He filed the idea away - it was certainly not for public consumption. "Perhaps we could have our engineers take a pass over it?" He suggested, maintaining his sanguine expression, "They might have an idea whether there's anything that might provide an edge should crisis befall us."

Tarin flashed her eyebrows at the suggestion with reluctant agreement. "Perhaps. Most of them are aboard the -B right now but Petty Officer Andrews is still on board. We can put him to work on it shortly," she nodded. "Right now, however, we need to know what we're up against. Modern Starfleet shield frequency rotations, Klingon and Romulan weapon harmonics and their cloaking EM spectrums; new hull designs we might not be familiar with. Anything to get us up to speed. And with enough preparation? Maybe we can give ourselves a fighting chance."

"And battle logs," Stark added quietly, still clearly in a somewhat shell-shocked state, half slumped back in his seat. "It would be useful to know if their tactics and tendencies have changed from the Klingons we know."

"Yes, and battle logs." Such tactical data and further analyses would perhaps be the most valuable resource they could acquire at this juncture. The captain entered a few notes into her PADD then looked back up to the assembled group. "Well then, let's get to it."

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Zara Ghemora
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

Ensign Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

PO1 Lysander Octavio
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

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